Process of making strainer buttons



J. H. M EVOY ET AL PROCESS OF MAKING STRAINER BUTTONS Jan. 22, 1929.

Filed April '7, 1927 Patented Jan. 232, i929. p

one sr'rss arena OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. MOEVOY AND JOSEPH HENRY MCEVOY, JR., F HOUSTON, TEXAS.

PROCESS O33 MAKING STRAINER BUTTONS.

Application filed April 7, 1927. Serial No. 181,804.

Our invention relates to a method of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a section similar to that forming Well strainer plugs primarily to be shown in Fig. 5, illustrating the slot as cut employed in well strainers to filter the sand in a difi'erent manner from that shown in and sediment from the fluid being produced Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of a by the well. strainer plug before the straining slots have. 60

It has been demonstrated that the strainer been cut, said plug illustrating a slightly portion of well strainers can best bev formed diilerent embodiment of the invention. Fig. by the insertion of perforated plugs into Sis a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 9 openings cut in the pipe to receive them. a transverse section on the line 99 of in This is because the plugs can be more ac Fig. 10, and Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of 65 curately and substantially formed and. the button shown in Fig. 9,the two Figures machined to performthe filtering operation, 9 and 10 illustrating the finished button with than can be done by making the, slots or the straining slots out therein. Like nuniperforations directly in the pipe itself, and orals of reference designate like parts as because the pipe is not materially weakened far as possible throughout all the views. 70 when thus converted into a strainer. And It considered to be a fact throughout further, that the plug can be made of matethe oil industry that the openings in a rial less liable to corrosion, sand cutting, and strainer to be used for filtering, particularly wear, which work against the permanence 1n wells, are more effective where the inner and efficient operation of a strainer. portion of the straining opening is formed 7 The principal difficulty experienced in wlderthan the entrance to said opening. In constructing such a strainer is that of formother words, it is considered most eflicientto ing substantial and durable strainer plugs fqrm the straining slots with their side walls accurately made at a reasonable cost. lhe diverging from the outer opening toward work connected with cutting and machining the inner face of the strainer. It is not at 80 accurately the brass, or bronze, plugs now present possible to form openings of this used, is a material element in the cost of character in a practicable manner so that strainers; the plug may be made economically and sold It is an objectof the invention to provide at a cost within the reach of the operator.

a typeof plug and a method of readily and In overcoming this difliculty, we oontemat cheaply forming them into an etiicient plateformniga plug shaped to fit the desired screening device of more than the usual opening in the strainer pipe, the form prefstrength and durability. It desired that o able being cylindrical. We contemplate the blank plug be partly completed by castforging this plu with parallel elongated re ing, forging, or punching in such form that cesses on one face thereof extending to a no a minimum of milling, or other cutting, will desirable depth into the body of the blank. be required to form screening slots of the This may be done either, while the metal is desired width inthe blanks. hot, or cold, but preferably'when it is hot.

The invention relates further to certain And while we have considered forging as the 40 details of construction as set forth in varioiui mosteflicient method of forming these remodifications of the inventive idea, and to cesses in the blank, it is believed possible and. the illustration of which reference is bad practicable toform these recesses by casting, to the drawings herewith, in which Fig. 1 or by punching the blank, while the metal is a transverse section on the line il1 of still cold.

15 Fig. 2, showing therewith a short segment When the blanks have been thus formed of the screen pipe into whith the plugs are with the recesses in one face, they willbo fitted. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a then operated upon to cut slots into the oppostrainer plug embodying our invention, this site face of the plug parallel with and diview illustrating the forged blank before rectly. over the recesses to connect with the so the strainer slots are cut therein. Fig. 8 bottomsof the said recesses; this cutting is is a central vertical section through a strainpreferably done with a milling cutter with er plug taken on theline 3-8' of Fig. 4. parallel sides. t is possible, however, that big. 4 is a bottom plan view of the plug, the slots may be stamped wane stamping showing the strainer slots cut therein. Fig. machine of ordinary construction,

55 5 is a vertical section on the line of In carrying out theinvention, as above parallel, are oi different lengths.

described, the most common form of plug will be one of cylidrical form wit-h its opposite ends, or faces, parallel; such a blank is disclosed in Figs. 1 to 10 inclusive. The recesses, which are forged, stamped, or cast, in the blank, may be of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. In these figures are illustrated elongated recesses extending from one'side to the other of the blank and ending at points spaced from, the periphery of the blank to form a circular rim 1. This rim is left intact about the circumference of the plug to form a. rigid ring to maintain the strength of the plug. The recesses being There may be as many of these recesses as are desired, and we have shown ii'our, there being two central recesses 2, and two outer recesses 3, shorter in length than the central. ones. These recesses have inwardly converging walls and have broad inner ends, which we term bottoms 4 therein, thus providing between each of the said bottoms 4 and the outer face 5 of the blank a web, or wall 6.

When the blank has been thus forged, or otherwise formed, the plug will be set in a holder and slots 7 will be cut in the outer face of the plug to meet with the bottoms of the recesses 4. It will be noted that the slots 7 need be out only through the web 6 to connect with the recesses and that, as the bottoms 4 of the recesses are broad, accurate placing of the cutting elements will be unnecessary, as it will make but slight diiference whether the slots connect exactly with the centers of the recesses or not. The slots 7 are preferably formed with parallel walls and may best be cut in the plug by means of milling cutters mounted in spaced relation upon a mandrel so that all the slots 7 may be cut with one operation. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the slots 7' may be cut the full distance across the outer portion, or head,

and through the circumferential rim 1 of the plug without materially weakening the same. The slot thus cut in the bot-tom is best illustrated in Fig. 5.

While the slots may be advantageously cut by the use of n'iilling cutters, it is contemplated that thoy may be also punched through the wall 6 to connect with the recesses by the use of a punch of the proper construction; such a slot is illustrated at 7' in Fig. 6.

As has been stated, it will be possible to cut the slot 7 with the least amount of adjustment where the bottoms-of the recesses 3 a e b ad, as shown at 4. It will be noted, however, that as these slots are subject to greater wear from sand, which has a tendencyto, and often does, cut the walls of the said slots during the use of the strainer. the resistance to such wear in the form shown best in Fig. 3, will be materially the same from the time the cutting or sand blasting action begins until the slot is worn to the full width of the bottom of the recess. It is, therefore, best' in some situations to form recesses, as shown in Fig. 7 with the walls converging more obtusely so as to meet at the bottoms of the recesses, as shown at 4 in Fig. 7. hen the recesses are thus formed, there is still the same outer rim about the plug and the same wall, or web 6, to be perforated or slotted. More careful adjustment of the cutters will be required when the recesses are thus formed, but it will be noted that the slots 7 connecting with said recesses, as illustrated in Fig. 9, will present a greater resistance to wear because of the greater amount of material to be cut by the sand or other foreign materials in the liquid on each of the side walls of the slots. In both these forms there will be a narrow straining slot 7 leading to a diverging recess on the inner face of the plug, thus allowing the sand to clear away from the opening toward the inner side and decreasing the liability of clogging the opening by thesand accumulations.

The advantages of forming a strainer plug in the manner described lie in the factthat the plug maybe forged and cut at a reasonable price to the consumer and when thus formed, the plug will wear for much longer periods of time than will some cheaper forms of plugs now in use. It is also obvious that plugs constructed in this manner may be made of harder material than when the plug is constructed in the ordinary manner. It will be possible to make a standard forged, or cast, blank with the recesses formed therein so that slots of varying widths may be cut in the opposite side to meet said recesses. It is to be understood that strainer plugs must have slots of difierent mesh or lateral widths to accord with different degrees of fineness of materials and thus accord with conditions within the well. In some wells only a coarse mesh is required, while in others a particularly fine mesh needed. In a plug formed in accordance with our invention, the slots may be of any width desired and the same forged blank will be capable of uselor all sizes of slots. The further advantages of this construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described our invention. what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patentis:

1. A process of forming strainer plugs for well strainers comprising forging in one face of a blank a series of parallel recesses, shaping the blank to fit the desired screen opening, and cutting slots in the opposite face of the blank to meet the bottoms of said recesses.

2. A process of, forming strainer plugs. tor well strainers comprising forging a lllt) blank with broad parallel recesses on one face thereof and then milling 011 the 0pposite face a series of slots parallel with said recesses and connectingv therewith to form filter openings.

3. A process of forming strainer plugs for Well strainers comprising forging a blank plug with broad bottomed recesses therein on one side, then cutting slits narrower than said recesses in the opposite side to connect With the bottoms of said recesses.

4. A process of forming strainer plugs for well strainers, comprising forging a blank disc With parallel recesses extending across said blank but ending short of the edge 01 said blank at each end to form an outer rini, then cutting slots in the opposite side of said blank to connect with the bottoms of said recesses.

5. A process of forming strainer plugs for well strainers comprising forging a blank circular disc shaped to fit an opening in the strainer, forming in said disc during the forging operation a longitudinal recess on one side extending part Way through the same, then cutting a slit in the opposite side of said button to register with said recess and form an opening through the said plug. 7

In testimony whereof We hereunto afiix our signatures April, A. D. 1927.

JOSEPH H. McEVOY. JOSEPH HENRY MCEVOY, JR. 

